Use the video and step-by-step drawing instructions below to learn how to draw Riley Freeman from The Boondocks. A new cartoon drawing tutorial is uploaded every week, so stay tooned!

 

 

Intro: Start off with a pencil sketch. In the beginning stages, don’t press down too hard. Use light, smooth strokes for sketching.

 

Step 1: Start by drawing a circle near the top of the page. This will be the basic shape for the top of Riley Freeman's head. It doesn’t have to be perfect. It’s just a guide.

 

Step 2: Draw a curved line under the circle as a guide for Riley Freeman's chin and jaw. The line should curve three times: once at the bottom for the chin and twice slightly on the sides for the jaw. Together these two shapes form the guide for the head.

 

Step 3: Next, draw two intersecting lines across the entire head, one vertical and one horizontal. Bend the lines so that they contour to the shape. These will be construction lines that will help you place Riley Freeman's facial features later on.

 

Step 4: Draw two small shapes similar to ovals as guides for Riley Freeman's eyes. Draw them sitting on top of the horizontal construction line and on either side of the vertical construction line.The oval on the left should be a smaller because of perspective.

 

Step 5: On the either side of the head, draw a curved line as a guide for Riley Freeman's ears. The line on the left should be a bit smaller. Under the head, draw two lines for the neck.

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Step 6: That’s it for the initial sketch! You have the basic shape of Riley Freeman from The Boondocks. Now go in and tighten your drawing. From this point on, press harder with your pencil in order to get darker lines and a more defined sketch.

 

Step 7: Use the initial ovals as guides to draw the shape of Riley Freeman's eyes. Follow the basic path of the ovals as you draw the eyes but make the lines more angular and thick at the top. The bottom of the eye should just be a short line.

 

Step 8: Inside each eye, draw a small half-circle for the irises. Inside each iris, draw a big dot in the middle for Riley Freeman's pupils. On the side of each iris, draw a smaller circle to represent glare.

 

Step 9: Draw two thick angled lines above the eyes for Riley Freeman's eyebrows. The shapes should angle downward in between the eyes. Notice how the shapes bend and have pointy ends.

 

Step 10: Add a few lines around the eyes to accentuate Riley Freeman's furrowed brow. Draw a couple of lines over each eye for the eyelids and a few angled lines in between the eyes for the wrinkled skin.

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Step 11: Draw Riley Freeman's nose by using the initial lines as guides for placement. The nose is basically a curved line with an even smaller line for the nostril. Place the nose close to the bottom edge of the circle on the inside.

 

Step 12: Draw Riley Freeman's mouth under the nose. The line for the mouth curves down for a pouty look. Add a smaller curved line under it for the bottom lip.

 

Step 13: Use the curved lines on the sides of the head as guides to draw Riley Freeman's ears. Follow the basic path of the guides but angle the shapes more as you darken the lines. Add a few more curved lines inside the shape of the ear for the inner structure.

 

Step 14: Draw the shape of Riley Freeman's face by using the main circle and the curved line under it as guides. Simply follow the path of the guides as you darken the lines. Darken the lines for the neck too.

 

Step 15: Riley Freeman's hair is a bit tricky, so it's divided into three parts. First draw the front part of the hair as a series of zigzag lines that goes across the top part of the forehead, and then bends sharply down toward the ear. Use the sides of the main circle as a guide for placement. The zigzag lines are divided into three sets of spikes. The middle spike on each set of three should be the tallest spike because it will be the division between Riley's cornrows.

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Step 16: Now draw Riley Freeman's individual cornrows above the head by using the main circle as a guide for the curvature of the braided hair. The line for each cornrow should should extend toward the spikes created in the previous step. The cornrows are basically made up of curved lines over each other.

 

Step 17: Finish Riley Freeman's hair by drawing the ends of the braided cornrows behind the head. Draw the braids as thick, wavy shapes that end in a curved tip. Make them as long as the neck.

 

Step 18: That’s it! You now have a nice sketch of Riley Freeman from The Boondocks. You can stop at this quick drawing for a rough, sketchy look or go for a more finished look by continuing to the step below.

 

Step 19: For a more finished, inked look, carefully draw over the final sketch lines with a pen or marker. Wait for the ink to dry, and then get rid of every pencil mark with an eraser. You now have a finished inked drawing of Riley Freeman! You can stop here or go to the final step to complete your Riley drawing.

 

Final Step: For a completely finished Riley drawing, you have to color it. You can use markers, color pencils or even crayons! Color his skin light brown. His hair and eyes are brown. You can add a bit of black to the sides of the cornrows and top of the eyes for extra detail. That’s it! You now have a completed drawing of Riley Freeman from The Boondocks.